Mixing speeds

Okay, my last thread seems to have been a dud, so let me try a new question. I'm in the middle of shooting a documentary that is set in the Middle East. I shot half of it last year, and am returning this year to shoot the rest. If I use this time a DSX100A to shoot it, it seems likely that I'll shoot in 24p or 30p. Or maybe I'll do a combination--is that advised? Or do you need to stay consistent throughout a project? And can I integrate my other footage from before, shot on a regular 3 ccd camcorder, with new footage? If so, how will it appear if I decide to transfer it all to film?

Thanks for any advice--I'm still trying to get my head around some of the nuances of this technology and how best to use it.

You need to consider what you will do with your previous footage that you probably shot at 60i. 60i converts pretty well to 24P. 30P doesn't. But, if you are going to produce your final products in 60i, then 24P won't look the same converting it to 60i. I would stick with what I had started so the conversion will be the same for the whole project.

Thanks--and actually, you advised me a year ago when I was headed to Lebanon and Iran with my DV953.
Let me make sure I have this straight--if I do the whole thing in 60p, I can then convert it all to 24p, then to film. Is that right? And if so, how does that conversion process take place? Can this be done in Vegas 5.0?

Yes, if you do the whole thing in 60i, you can blend the old footage with the new footage and edit it with Vegas. It'll be easier to match up looks by keeping the frame rate and interlacing the same. When you get ready to go to film, you can convert it from 60i to 24P with Vegas or with one of the special software tools that are designed for that purpose. See this faq (http://www.dvfilm.com/faq.htm) for more information.